The Potter Bet
by I just want food
Summary: The Potters bet that extended to the afterlife.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing. You hear me? Nothing! J.K. Rowling owns it all, the Harry Potter...the everything! **

**Now that's done...Enjoy!**

James Potter—former Quidditch extraordinaire; ladies' man; a Marauder; member of the Order of the Phoenix; husband to Lily Evans-Potter; father to one Harry James Potter—is currently sitting on the floor of his eleven-month old son's playroom inside the Potter manor. He's looking over his son who is currently having the mischief of his life—chasing his mother's cat who had the misfortune of being trapped in the same room as the child.

James didn't bother saving the cat. He doesn't like it anyway. In fact, he doesn't like cats and the reason that cat is here in his house is because it's his wife's cat. And said woman would probably hex him if he takes it away.

His mother often said that Harry is so much like James. A fact that he enjoys so much.

Suddenly, the door opened and the cat saw it as a chance to escape. Lily came in.

"Are you torturing the cat again?" Lily asked as she picked up Harry who instantly brightened upon seeing his mother.

"Mama? Where cat? Where cat?" he asked as he frantically looked around. "No cat?" he then pouted.

Lily laughed and looked at James who was now building blocks. "I swear James, your son's all you."

"Nah. He's got your traits." James argued from behind the blocks that are starting to vaguely look like Hogwarts. Harry, upon seeing his father playing blocks, insisted that he be put down and play with him.

"He doesn't like the cat and he looks like you. And don't forget how mischievous he could be! Remember last week when we had to feed him vegetables?" Lily recounted.

James immediately remembered the tale. Lily was feeding Harry his dinner when he got home. It was vegetables which made James recoil secretly at the sight of it. When Lily turned to greet James, Harry had somehow got himself off of his high chair and locked out his parents from the playroom. Lily and James could hear his high-pitched laughter from outside.

"Hmm, I guess." he said absently when something clicked. "So that means he'll marry a redhead?"

"Who said about marrying a redhead?" Lily asked, skeptically. James told her about this supposed curse that runs in the male Potter blood and she remained skeptical.

James rolled his eyes which Harry copied (recently, he had been copying his father's gestures, thinking it was funny) much to Lily's delight. "Don't tell me you haven't believed it yet? All Potter males are destined to marry a redhead. They're the only women who can tame a Potter. Accept the Potter curse."

"Potter curse." Lily parroted. "You still feed me that utter bull—" she paused upon realising Harry was within earshot. "unbelievable fact?"

"Lily," he started slowly, as if explaining this to Harry rather than his wife. "You're a redhead married to me, a Potter. Mom's a redhead married to Dad, a Potter. Grandma Potter is a redhead married to Grandpa, a Potter. Great-grandma Potter is a red—"

"Yes, yes. I think I got it. Are you sure your son will have a redheaded wife?"

"Alright, we'll settle this in a bet." he said smugly.

"Don't be so smug mister. If I win, you'll be cleaning the house for a month." she said, feeling smug herself.

"And if I win...well, it wouldn't really be so much as a punishment because we'll both enjoy it." he smiled as if he was a villain and as Lily reddened, that smile turned into a hearty laugh.

_Harry's 6th year_

"Ha Lils! I told you so." James shouted as he pointed a finger at her. They were, as usual, looking over Harry.

"James, you haven't won anything." Lily pointed out.

He looked crestfallen. "B-b-but we had a bet!"

"James, our bet states that Harry will marry a redhead. As far as I can see, they're not married yet. Just snogging."

James was about to answer when Sirius butted in. "You bet on your child's love affairs?" When the two just stared at him, he continued. "And here I thought _I'm_ fucked up!"

_A few years later..._

"I won the bet!" James said triumphantly while doing his victory dance around Lily who is currently reading a book.

"Dear, you won the bet a week ago. As far as I'm concerned, we're now serving our punishments." Lily informed him without taking her eyes off the book she's reading.

James flopped down beside her. "Oh I wouldn't call it punishment if I were you." he whispered in her ear which gave her goosebumps. Lily was stunned at the moment before James started running while laughing.

"James!" she berated him and James had to duck as a flying book was sent his way.

_James Sirius Potter—eleven months old_

"I bet you he'd marry a redhead." Harry blurted out one peaceful afternoon while James was playing. He had a knack for blurting things out around Ginny. And said woman is playing with James at this moment.

Ginny just looked at him as if he's gone mental. "You still believe that so-called Potter curse? And may I add that Sirius, your source, is not to be trusted with things like those?"

"I've got enough evidences of it, though." he said, the Potter's chest of pictures that he retrieved from Godric's Hollow, and now resting in the attic, fresh in his memory.

"Alright." Ginny consented while rolling her eyes. "You're on."

_Almost three decades later..._

"Mrs. Potter," Harry whispered to Ginny who was currently dabbing her eyes with tissue much like the man across them while the man's wife was trying not to laugh at her husband. They were at James' wedding and the two people he just identified were now James' in-laws. "I believe we had a bet."

Ginny turned to him. This information, apparently, seemed to cease her tears. "How could I forget when you've been reminding me ever since you met Ara?" she was talking about James' new wife. Ginny smiled shyly. "But I suppose you'll get your prize later."

Later could not come soon enough for Harry.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it!**

**:)**


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